1619.] S/J? THOMAS ERSKINE. 317 



the peerage November 30, 16 13, as LORD BiNNiNG, was 

 appointed Lord-President of the Court of Session in 1616, and 

 created Earl of Melrose at Newmarket, March 20, 1619. His 

 lordshijD, with the approbation of the Crown, after the death 

 of Sir John Ramsay, Viscount Haddington, changed the title 

 of Earl of Melrose for that of Earl of Haddington, by patent 

 dated August 17, 1627, but with the precedence of the origi- 

 nal patent. This nobleman acquired, by the lucrative offices 

 he enjoyed, one of the largest fortunes of his time, which was 

 considerably augmented by the discovery of valuable mines 

 upon his estates. He died in 1637. 



^ Sir Thomas Erskine — second son of Sir Alexander 

 Erskine, of Gogar, the second son of John, 5th Lord Erskine, 

 and Lady Mary Campbell, daughter of Archibald, Earl of 

 Argyll — was born in 1586, the same year with James VL, 

 was educated with the king from childhood, and came 

 thereby to have a great share in the royal favour. The king 

 bestowed on him many marks of his special esteem, and 

 appointed him one of the Gentlemen of his Bedchamber in 

 1 595. He had charters of Mitchellis, Eastertown, and Wester- 

 town, in the county Kincardine, October 17, 1494; of Winding- 

 town and Windingtown Hall, June i, 1598; and of Easterrow, 

 in Perthshire, January 15, 1598-9. He had the good fortune 

 to be one of the happy instruments in the rescue of the king 

 from the treasonable attempt of the Earl of Gowrie and his 

 brother, Alexander Ruthven, of Perth, August 5, 1600, having 

 with his own hand killed the latter. For this signal service 

 he had the third part of the lordship of Dirleton, belonging 

 to Gowrie, conferred on him by charter, dated November 15, 

 1600; and in warrandice thereof the king's barony of Corri- 

 town, in Stirlingshire. In that charter he is designated eldest 

 lawful son of the deceased Alexander Erskine, Master of 

 Marr. He accompanied the Duke of Lennox in his embassy 

 to France in July, 1601. Attending King James to England, 

 he was the same year constituted Captain of the Yeomen of 

 the Guard, in the room of Sir Walter Raleigh — a preferment 

 which made him very unpopular in England. He was created 



